Philosophy

There have been numerous amazing translations of non-Western philosophies for centuries.

Just as there is American exceptionalism, there is also Western tradition exceptionalism. And the Western is Greco-Roman philosophy (yet almost always just Plato & Aristotle), the Church Fathers (Augustine - a Neo-Platonist & Aquinas - a Neo-Aristotlian), and the Western European and then American schools of philosophy.

Yet, there are amazing schools of philosophy few ever get exposed to or desire to study. Few have studied Huayan where concepts of interpenetration and the natural paradox of relative versus absolute truth has been studied in China, Japan & Korea for over a thousand years. Anyone interested in Whitehead or Process metaphysics will want to check out this school of philosophy.

The Vedantic tradition is rich and varied through out thousands of years of Indian philosophical thought. Its highest expressions were pre-figuring concepts in Western philosophy hundreds of years before they were even considered. If you have read and enjoy Spinoza then explore Vedantic thought.

Another sorely neglected philosophical tradition is that from the 9th-century Baghdad where Greek philosophy & science were translated and expounded upon by Islamic philosophers. Their preservation and advancements ultimately led to the Western traditions revitalization in the Renaissance. How many have read Avicenna, Al-Kindi, Al-Amiri, and Abu Tahir Marwazi?

Finally, there has been very little western exploration of African philosophy. The Kongo traditions are rich & pertinent and the system of Ifa is stunning in its complexity and metaphysics.

Commerce and trade have had these schools and traditions open previously. If we want more in the West to read and study these traditions then the arrogance of the western mindset must be challenged and loosened so that the value in these other non-Western traditions of philosophy can be appreciated.